Women In America Earn Only 2/3 Of What Men Do
- Artist: Guerrilla Girls
- Date: 1985
- Medium: Screenprint on paper
- Dimensions: image: 430 x 560 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Women In America Earn Only 2/3 Of What Men Do” by the Guerrilla Girls, a 1985 screenprint on paper. The image bursts with bright pinks and yellows, a classic Guerrilla Girls backdrop that turns statistics into a punchy visual protest. On the left, a dollar bill is split in two thirds; the text below reads, “Women in America earn only 2/3 of what men do. Women artists earn only 1/3 of what men artists do.” It’s a stark reminder of the pay gap that still lingers.
The Guerrilla Girls formed in 1985 in response to a glaring gender imbalance at a New York museum: only 13 women out of 169 artists were represented. They hide behind gorilla masks, adopting pseudonyms of deceased women artists like Frida Kahlo and Gertrude Stein. Their posters mix blunt data with sardonic wit, holding institutions accountable and sparking conversation about sexism, racism, and homophobia in the art world.
This print is part of their “Guerrilla Girls Talk Back” portfolio, a collection of thirty posters that use bold text to challenge the status quo. It’s not just a piece of art—it’s a call to action, a reminder that art can be a powerful vehicle for social change.
See it in person
Women In America Earn Only 2/3 Of What Men Do is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
